In highly fragmented landscapes, natural recolonization isn’t sufficient for restoring native plant communities. Obtaining sufficient quantities of native seed is a major barrier to many restorations, especially large-scale projects Wild seed harvest is relied on to overcome commercial seed supply constraints but it introduces risks to the remnant vegetation being harvested. In a field survey of harvested and unharvested tallgrass prairies, Justin Meissen (2015) showed that short-lived, non-clonal species appeared to be most susceptible to decline from seed harvest. His dissertation research followed up on this finding with modeling and field experiments.
Recent Publications
Meissen, J.*, S. Galatowitsch, and M. Cornett. 2017. Assessing long-term risks of prairie seed harvest: what is the role of life history? Botany 95: 1081-1092.
Meissen, J.*, S. Galatowitsch, and M. Cornett. 2017. Meeting seed demand for landscape-scale restoration sustainably: the influence of seed harvest intensity and site management. Ecoscience 24: 145-155.
